Spark plug cleaning device



Jan. 8, 1935. R. R. SHELTON SPARK PLUG CLEANING DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1932 ifober z fi w My ZM/J Patented Jan. 8 1935 PATENT carrier: Y 1', rag-rel] 1 I I spent; rppq. gpEAmNe DEVICE I Robert Ems Shelton, Chattanooga, Tenn., as- $8 .1 J- Hele ha ta o Tenn.

ere eetieeileiebe a es 636,384v

' 12 Qlaims. (01951.4

This invention relates to improvements in detign ally retain the plug. Projecting transversely Vices melam ne s rk. gshteueh t e c in wall. oppeisi eiene mr is The object ""ofth"e reverses is to simplify the an air pipe 14. This pipe is enclosed by a tubular construction of the apparatus and the mode of nozzle 15 formed integral with the casing and operating or manipulating the device. More spethe interior of said nozzle communicates with a 5 cifically, the apparatus comprises means for prodepending pipe 16 whose lower extremity is jecting a sand ladened blast of air against a cated in abody of sand or other cleaning material spark plug to clean the latter and a second blast 17 in a reservoir formed by the bottom of the of air to remove any particles of sand that may casing. The bottom of the casing is inclined as at 10 have adhered to the plug. In the present in- 18 to facilitate feeding of the sand to said pipe 16. 10 stance, the ducts for these two air blasts are, in A second air pipe 19 also projects into casing part, formed in a single fitting where they com- 10 substantially parallel to pipe 14. This second municate with a single source of supply of compipe does not extend into nozzle but projects pressed air and a two-way valve is provided in a considerable distance beyond said nozzle into 15 said fitting whereby the fiow of air through both proximity to the spark plug 13. At the exterior 15 ducts is controlled by the single valve. This simof casing 10, pipes 14, 19 are connected to a fitplifiies the construction and operation of the de ting 20, pipe 14 communicating with a duct 21 vice and, likewise, tends to reduce the cost of proin the fitting and pipe 19 with a duct 22. Ducts duction. 21, 22 communicate with a duct 23 which is adapt- Another object is to bafile the air blasts to obed to be connected with a suitable source of sup- 20 tain a maximum effect thereof on the spark plug ply of compressed air. Ftting 20 is secured to being cleaned. In connection with this feature the casing by a threaded nipple 25. A two-way of the invention, the baffle is so constructed that valve 24 is provided in fitting 20 and, as will be it also aids in precipitating the sand from the air apparent air may be delivered through either of 25 currents after the sand ladened blast of air has pipes 14, 19 at the will of the operator by simply 25 been projected against the spark plug. turning said valve in one direction or the other.

With these and other objects in view, the in- In cleaning the spark plug, air is first delivered vention consists in certain details of constructhrough pipe 14. The passage of the air through tion and combinations and arrangements of nozzle 15 will cause sand to feed upward through parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully defeed pipe 16 and be projected in the blast of air 30 scribed and the novel features thereof particufrom said nozzle, against the spark plug. This larly pointed out in the appended claims. removes foreign matter from the spark plug, after In the accompanying drawing: which valve 24 is turned to cut off air from pipe Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating 14 and deliver it to pipe 19. Air issuing from the preferred embodiment of the present invenpipe 19 free of sand will be projected against the 35 tion; spark plug and remove from the latter any par- Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of ticles of sand that may have adhered thereto. Fig. 1; In order .to obtain the full effect of the sand Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the fitting and ladened blast of air issuing from nozzle 15, there valve for the air blast ducts; is provided a bafile 26. Preferably, this baffle is 40 Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4.4: of tubular and of cylindrical formation with the Fig. 3. upper portion of its wall of greater length than In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the lower portion thereof. Baffle 26 extends in the present instance, there is a shell or casing transversely of casing 10 from aperture 11 toward 10 provided with an aperture 11 in which is senozzle 15, with the latter arranged axially of the 45 cured a perforated, flexible washer 12. The spark bafile wall or in line with the spark plug in openplug 13, to be cleaned, is inserted in the opening ing 11. The upper portion of the baffle extends in the washer 12 as shown in Fig. 1. The flexible over nozzle 15 but its lower portion terminates washer 12 is retained in the opening in the casing short of said nozzle. The baffle not only concenby an annular metal ring, the opening in which trates the sand ladened blast of air on the plug 50 is of larger diameter than the orifice in the being cleaned but the currents of air returning washer and the orifice in the washer is of less from against the plug along the upper portion of diameter than the diameter of the threaded porthe baffle have to travel a considerable distance tion of the spark plug, so that the washer may before escaping to the upper portion of casing 10.

flex when a plug is inserted therein but will fric- In this way they are given more time in which 55 to lose their momentum and consequently there is a greater opportunity for the sand to precipitate therefrom. Consequently, there is less likelihood of the screens 27, through which the air passes before escaping through opening 28 from the casing, clogging up with the sand. Also, the lower portion of baflie 26 being comparatively short, sand cannot readily accumulate therein.

The screens 27 are secured within the casing by being clamped between said casing and the casing cover 28 which, in turn, is held in place by a bail-like member 30 pivoted in the casing and adapted to frictionally engage over the top of said cover.

What I claim is:

ing having an opening in one wall thereof a washer of resilient material located on said wall of smaller diameter than the opening in said wall for receiving a part of a spark plug, a second washer of metal partly covering the resilient washer and having an opening therein of larger diameter than the opening in the washer of resilient material and means located in the casing for forcing cleaning material against the plug.

2. In a spark plug cleaning device, a casing having an opening in one side wall in which a spark plug may be inserted, a reservoir for cleaning material in the lower portion of said casing, means comprising a nozzle extending into said casing for projecting a blast of air and cleaning material against a spark plug positioned in said opening, a horizontally disposed tubular baifle encircling said opening, the upper portion of said baille projecting from said opening toward the opposite wall of the casing beyond the discharge 1. In a device for cleaning spark plugs, a cas--" end of said nozzle and terminating adjacent said opposite side wall and the lower portion of said 'baflle terminating short of said nozzle, and a over the opening and having an opening therein.

screened passage above said baiile through which air escapes from said casing.

.ROBERT. ROY SHELTON. 

